The City Council will consider whether to approve a construction contract for the new dog park in Riverside Park at its Nov. 15 meeting.
If the contract with By Grace Floors & Construction is approved, construction will begin within a month. The project will take about six months to complete.
The design for the dog park was approved by the Parks & Recreation Commission earlier this year. The dog park will be located at the southern end of the park near The PumpHouse. Features of the park will include:
- Separate areas for large and small dogs
- Exercise equipment
- Drinking fountains for humans and dogs
- Smaller fenced-off areas for dogs who need a break
- Additional parking nearby
The creation of a dog park is one of the goals outlined in the Parks & Recreation master plan. During the community input phase, residents were surveyed about the types of facilities they’d like to see, and a dog park was the most popular write-in choice.
The master plan identified Riverside Park as a suitable location due to its size, regional park status and acceptable distance from residential areas.
The City partnered with local Girl Scout Izzy Drane on the project. Izzy, who passed away this year, had been raising funds and collecting sponsorships for exercise equipment within the dog park as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
Girl Scout Troop #9565 and Izzy’s family are continuing to fundraise for the dog park in her memory. Residents can donate to have a brick dedicated in honor of a pet. To make a donation or purchase a brick, visit https://form.jotform.com/213536887304158.
Additional funding for the project is being provided by the Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation, which allocates sales tax revenue for community development projects.
To learn more about Parks & Recreation facilities and programs, visit www.victoriatx.gov/parks.